Whipspider Questions

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Arachnosquire
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Dec 3, 2016
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Hi guys, I have a few questions about whipspiders.

Question 1
I know this sounds stupid but can you keep different species together? for example
P. marginemaculatus living with P. Mexicanus or D. diadema living with D. variegatus.

Question 2
If different species can live together can they breed and make hybrid species?

Question 3
can I house them with cave roaches?
 

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
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Different species will most likely kill one another.

They will eat the roaches or the roaches will eat them when they molt.
 

Shazz

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No, as said above, different species will most likely kill eachother, not because of predation but just fighting and seeing each other as possibly threats.

Different species won't breed because they won't recognise each other as a member of the same species so won't even attempt to mate, whether it is biologically possible for those 2 species depends on how close their relation is, but even if they did the offspring would be infertile so you wouldn't be able to carry on the hypothetical hybrid species.

Cave roaches will be a pest to them and probably stress them out, but they are unlikely to attack/eat the whip scorpion as long as they are small and have constant a food supply available.
 

Arachnid Hobby

Arachnosquire
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I figured these where stupid questions. I'm not that experienced with whipspiders, I only have 2 D. diadema and a P. marginemaculatus.
 

Shazz

Arachnopeon
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I figured these where stupid questions. I'm not that experienced with whipspiders, I only have 2 D. diadema and a P. marginemaculatus.
They aren't stupid questions, plus only way to learn is either ask or get experience :)
 

schmiggle

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It is almost always--but my impression is should be treated as always--a bad idea to house multiple species together. It's just a recipe for aggression, disease, incompatible requirements, etc.
 

Banshee05

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I kept for many years big sub-adults Heterophrynus specimen together with dwarf tarantulas of the genus Cyriocosmus in one tank: one species is up in the "tree", another dig in the soul its nest.
 

BobBarley

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I kept for many years big sub-adults Heterophrynus specimen together with dwarf tarantulas of the genus Cyriocosmus in one tank: one species is up in the "tree", another dig in the soul its nest.
Could you describe the setup further?
 

Banshee05

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As easy as it sounds: big tank, around 60*50*40 (but usual for hugh adult Heterophrynus species), with a cork oak as backwall and one large piece of cork crooked from one corner to the diagonal one for the whip spider specimen. The soils consists of normal terra mixed with a bit sand and hydroponics (for keeping the humidity longer inside the tank) and that's it. I first put 4 sexed females Cyriocosmus (I think it was sellatus) inside the tank and waited some weeks till the have established shelters and dig into the soil, each in one corner, afterwards I put the large whip spider inside.... feeding always both, adult and small crickets and that's it. Worked fine for many many years, but in fact and finally only one tarantula was left, I strongly suggest that they killed each other and has nothing to do with the whip spider specimen.
 

Arachnid Hobby

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As easy as it sounds: big tank, around 60*50*40 (but usual for hugh adult Heterophrynus species), with a cork oak as backwall and one large piece of cork crooked from one corner to the diagonal one for the whip spider specimen. The soils consists of normal terra mixed with a bit sand and hydroponics (for keeping the humidity longer inside the tank) and that's it. I first put 4 sexed females Cyriocosmus (I think it was sellatus) inside the tank and waited some weeks till the have established shelters and dig into the soil, each in one corner, afterwards I put the large whip spider inside.... feeding always both, adult and small crickets and that's it. Worked fine for many many years, but in fact and finally only one tarantula was left, I strongly suggest that they killed each other and has nothing to do with the whip spider specimen.
Where do you obtain your Heterophrynus from?
 

Banshee05

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haha I am keeping and breeding MANY different species since 14 years or so... hard work, passion and no hurry, than you get them.
 

Arachnid Hobby

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haha I am keeping and breeding MANY different species since 14 years or so... hard work, passion and no hurry, than you get them.
Yea, I've had Damon diadema for about 2 years my female had babies that are now at 3rd instar when they mature then I'll probably get some. Also where do you live?
 

schmiggle

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Where do you obtain your Heterophrynus from?
There are at least two people on here who breed and sell them who immediately come to mind: Orin McMonigle and Peter Clausen. There are probably others of whom I am unaware.
 

InvertsandOi

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I figured these where stupid questions. I'm not that experienced with whipspiders, I only have 2 D. diadema and a P. marginemaculatus.
I don't think these are stupid questions at all. In fact, no offense to anyone here, but I'm not even entirely convinced on the answers that were given. I mean, they're PROBABLY right. I would also expect two species to be hostile to each other, but I don't know for sure that that would always be the case. Also, I've never heard of someone trying to breed say two Damon species. Considering how often these species get mislabeled I'm sure it's at least been attempted on accident. Diadema and variegatus are hard to tell apart. For all we know there could be hybrids out there that nobody realizes are hybrids. Probably not, but maybe so.

Also, I don't think I have any experience with the species of roach you're referring to (only cave roaches I have are Simandoa conserfariam), but if they're too large to be prey I'm sure the Ambly would just stay away from them. That said, it's pretty safe to say that they would cause unnecessary stress, and could possibly pose a danger during molting, if for no other reason than they could knock it loose during the process.
 

schmiggle

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Considering how often these species get mislabeled I'm sure it's at least been attempted on accident. Diadema and variegatus are hard to tell apart. For all we know there could be hybrids out there that nobody realizes are hybrids. Probably not, but maybe so.
West African Damon are very hard to tell apart visually. However, I think their habitats are geographically isolated, though banshee would know better than me. However, the visual marker is unimportant for mating success, at least not directly, because whipspiders are very nearly blind. Whether they're sufficiently chemically and physically similar to recognize each other as suitable partners is something I know nothing about.
 

pannaking22

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I don't think these are stupid questions at all. In fact, no offense to anyone here, but I'm not even entirely convinced on the answers that were given. I mean, they're PROBABLY right. I would also expect two species to be hostile to each other, but I don't know for sure that that would always be the case. Also, I've never heard of someone trying to breed say two Damon species. Considering how often these species get mislabeled I'm sure it's at least been attempted on accident. Diadema and variegatus are hard to tell apart. For all we know there could be hybrids out there that nobody realizes are hybrids. Probably not, but maybe so.

Also, I don't think I have any experience with the species of roach you're referring to (only cave roaches I have are Simandoa conserfariam), but if they're too large to be prey I'm sure the Ambly would just stay away from them. That said, it's pretty safe to say that they would cause unnecessary stress, and could possibly pose a danger during molting, if for no other reason than they could knock it loose during the process.
Hard to tell apart for us anyways. I'm sure the Damon have very little problem telling each other apart since they operate very heavily with chemical and tactile sensations that I would assume a different species would lack. I believe a better way to put it is that some species might be more tolerant of others, both of their species and others, but it's not something that I would think would last forever, likely with the larger species eating the smaller one. I know Orin mentions in his book that he introduced one another phrynid into an enclosure with H. batesii and things seemed to go well enough, but it wasn't a permanent setup. It's quite possible that people have tried breeding different species of Damon and that could be part of the reason why they didn't have success. I believe amblypygid taxonomy is a bit of a mess as is, so adding in potential hybrids will make things even worse down the road.

Yes, the amblypygid would try to stay away from them, but what's to say the roaches won't go after it? Cave roaches (assuming Blaberus likely B. giganteus) need large amounts of protein and are very active as adults, so I would assume that unless there's lots of food provided and a small crevice for the amblypygid to hide in, something bad will probably happen. Doubly so because amblypygids need space and peace to molt properly.
 
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